The Incite Agency

OUR APPROACH

We've built the mostsuccessful startup in political
history from the ground up
and turned it into
a national movement.

We’ve defined and protected
the obama brand and managed
communications for one of the most
complex c-suites in the world
—during historic opposition.

The most important set of lessons is
not for politicos, but for corporations
…after all, by Election Day, the Obama campaign
was as large as many fortune 500 companies.
—Business Insider, Nov. 12, 2012

Over the past decade, we’ve learned simple but valuable lessons that drive our approach to communications.

1. Re-write the rules.

2. Rely on research and data

Build your strategy based on clearly defined goals and research—not just a gut feeling. Find ways to measure your progress using data, then choose your tactics.

3. Play the long game

A successful communications strategy must look beyond just the next day’s stories and chart a long-term path to success.

4. Engage and expand

Engage new audiences and expand your reach by identifying new platforms, fostering dialogue and breaking down internal silos to get your message out.

5. Take control

Define yourself. If you wait for someone else to define you, it’s over. Trust is built by getting ahead of bad news and explaining the situation on your own terms.

6. Know the media

Know what makes reporters and opinion leaders tick. Build relationships based on their needs as well as yours,
and look beyond the usual media suspects.

About Us

Robert Gibbs Founding Partner

Gibbs has helped companies across a multitude of industries to create and implement communications strategies grounded in research and data and built for long-term success. A core member of the team that built the Obama brand from the ground up, beginning in 2004, when then-Senator Obama was a first-term legislator from Illinois, Gibbs previously served in several senior roles for President Obama, including White House Press Secretary—a role in which he developed communications strategies for the White House and served as the Obama administration’s primary voice on a wide range of complex issues. The New York Times called Gibbs the "president’s political compass".

Ben LaBolt Founding Partner

LaBolt has been a communications strategist for the past decade on campaigns at the city, state, and national level, on Capitol Hill, and in the White House. He has advised Fortune 500 companies on how to transform communications efforts to be more proactive and agile, defend brands under siege and tackle significant customer and public policy initiatives. His previous work includes serving as the national press secretary for President Obama’s reelection campaign, press secretary for then-Congressman Sherrod Brown’s campaign for Senate, communications director for Rahm Emanuel’s campaign for Mayor and White House spokesman for the efforts to confirm Justices Sotomayor and Kagan to the Supreme Court.

Jon Jones Chief Digital Officer

As the digital landscape has dramatically changed over the last 10 years, Jones has been there every step of the way, developing and executing some of the most innovative digital strategies for the world’s largest brands. Both as Digital Director for Senator Bob Casey’s landslide defeat of Rick Santorum and as the first digital strategist for Obama’s historic 2008 presidential campaign, he has harnessed creative thinking and innovation to develop game-changing digital campaigns. Jones’ experience extends into the private sector through his work at the digital advertising agency, R/GA, over the last 5 years including client work with Nike, NikeID, Walmart, Samsung, Tiffany, Unilever, Abercrombie & Fitch, Holister, & McCormick.

Robin Reck Senior Account Manager

For nearly a decade, Robin Reck has developed public affairs and communications programs on domestic and international issues for corporations, associations and non-profit coalitions to help them achieve their public policy goals in the United States and abroad. With an emphasis on corporate social responsibility issues and reputation management, Robin has worked at both large and small public affairs and public relations agencies. She has designed global strategic and media relations programs for clients including the Save Darfur Coalition, Prince of Wales Charitable Trust, Travel Technology Association, the European Union, the Council for Biotechnology Information, Mars, Dow, Cargill and Coca-Cola.

Vicki Ballagh Communications Associate

Vicki Ballagh manages research, media outreach and communications strategy for clients of all sizes across a variety of industries and issue areas. She brings an extensive background in digital media and journalism, having worked in national, local and student media. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia with high distinction in Politics and Media Studies. Ballagh has worked significantly in digital communications—helping organizations develop and implement successful online engagement strategies that get results.

Our Services

Experience

The Incite Agency has worked with clients across the corporate spectrum, including Fortune 500 and other innovative companies in the technology, energy, education, health care and retail sectors in addition to a diverse range of advocacy and non-profit organizations.

Our Work

For a Fortune 150 company based in the Midwest, Incite took a fledgling digital presence and brought it focus and direction—helping the client achieve measurable impact and results by defining messages, tactics and targets that fit together to meet the specific objectives we laid out for a successful social media campaign. Engaging individuals online to build a broad coalition, Incite synchronized online and offline outreach and ensured that all platforms were leveraged to meet the client's goals and break through on social and traditional media.

For a multinational retail corporation based in the Southwest, Incite worked to prepare a team of communicators for an impending crisis, ensuring that key documents and plans were in place to respond immediately and effectively and engage with the right sets of reporters when the bad news broke. Once the issue went public, we monitored the scope and impact of the crisis while providing strategic advice to help the client execute a set of proactive and pre-planned media tactics designed to drive the information flow and maintain their credibility.

For an international security consulting group, Incite managed all aspects of press relations for a major multi-city international event hosted by the client. In addition to structuring messaging materials, we leveraged our experience with the media and in the digital sphere, identifying and engaging with relevant outlets and reporters around the world—resulting in high profile, high quality national and international coverage of our client and their event. Our team was on-site at multiple locations to seamlessly coordinate interviews and day-of press logistics, managing the inevitable last minute changes—easing the burden on our client and allowing them to focus on the success of their event.

For a national advocacy organization based in the Mountain West, Incite conducted a communications audit that found significant efficiency problems in how our client described its own brand, often failing to correctly prioritize press outreach and messaging opportunities in a way leads to effective proactive or rapid response message penetration. Using the results of the audit, Incite advised the client on how to dismantle the current organization and rebuild so that every aspect of its communications were grounded in a well-defined message and strategy—resulting in a leaner, more agile structure built to play the long game.

Incite led a media training for an educational hub at the center of New York's emerging technology sector to prepare both its global founders and the heads of its offices worldwide. We worked to better define the brand of the business while methodically walking through how get its message out to a general market audience. Our media training focused on both style and substance—how to engage the audience with a compelling message while delivering it in a convincing way. We produced both a video and a guidebook for the company's leadership to use to refresh their skills in advance of interviews and public appearances.